Latch



` March 24, 1925. 1,530,508

' N. F. MATTEsoN LATCH Filed Feb. 27, 1922 Patented Mar. 24, 192:5.

UNITED NELSON F'L'YBE MATTIE'SO, OF WAS'II''NGTN, D'ISTRIT or L'MBIA.

Application mea reuma-ffy at, 1922. serial no.v 539,492.

To ZzZZ whom t may concern.' i i Be it known that I, NELSON FLoYDn MAT- TnlsoN, a 'citizen of the United States 'of America, residing `at Washington, in thev District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Latche's, vof which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to 'certain new and useful improvements in latches for swinging 'doors particularly serviceable in 'connection with the doors of automobiles- In the usual forms of latches for automobile doors, a sliding bolt is normally spring projected and so heldv until manually retracted so that oftentimes a persons cl'othing is torn on the projecting bolt when getlting in and out of the automobile. In' addition to this, these projecting latch bolts prevent ready closin-g jof, the `door and; in order to effect latchinfg of the -door inv closed position, the door must be slammed or swung closed with considerable force to 'overcome Athe action of the spring which projects the sliding bolt and causes the bolt to be forced to retracted position 'by engagement of a beveled face' 'of the bolt with vthe keeper. This forceful closing 'of the door causes jcn'nf fsid'erable annoying jars and undesirable loud noise.

It is'the primary object lof the present invent-ion 'to provide la latch forairtoniobile doors of the Vspring projected bolt type wherein provision is made for automatically retaining the bolt"retractedv when 'the same is manually moved to i'ts Yretractecl position and to nralre provision for a'i'itoin-atifc' release 'of 4the yretracted bolt by a .slight impact which OC'uIS lpon =Closing lille door V"'Yilll very little force. A

Another ojbj'ect of the invention is 'to provide means to regulate the degree of force necessary in swinging the door to a closed position while `l'IlSujllHg release f0f the Fe'- tr'acte'd 'bolt 'so'that fthe device may meetwitlli the conditions and requirements which may varise with 'respect to 'different forms of anto'- mobiles 'and Ywhereby the invention will meet with all of the requirements for a successful lColnmerc'ial use. Y

With the above general objects V'nl view and others that will 'appear as 'the nature of the invention is better understood, the invention consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like referL ence characters designate similar parts throughout' the views.

VIn the drawing,

n Figure l i-s a fragmentary perspective in'- side view of an automobile door partly broken away,- and equipped with a latch constructed in accordance with the present in*- vention, c

Figure 2 is -a lside elevational view, partly broken away of the latch shown in Figure l',

Fig-ure 3 is a horizontal sectional view talren upon line III-III kof Figure 2, f 1 Figure 4 ifs a ,vertical sectional view taken upon line IV=IV of Figure 3,

, Figure 5 is a View similar to Figure 2 with the sliding bolt retracted', and

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional View taken u-pon line VI-VI 'of Figure `5.

Referring more in detail to the several "views, the present invention is shown embodied'i-n a door latchof Ythe sliding bolt type wherein a two-part casing is provided embodying a relatively liar-ge plate -5 having one end bent at right angles asat 6 or formed in Vthis relation, the plate being provided with sli-itable `corner openings 7 to admit screws S or the like for fastening the casing to the usual door 9 with the' portion 6 of the plate flush with the vertical edge of the vdoo`1` which is free and the portion 5 flush with the inner wall 'of the fdoor'l which is usually lcovered with heavy kleather or the like as illustrated in Figure l. The uother member vof the casing 'comprises a smaller somewhat pan-shaped sheet nretal member 10 with projecting lugs riveted in suitable 'openings in the ,plate member 5 as' at ll so as toV provide a bolt 'chamber 1-2 in which is po'- `sitioned a horizontal sliding latch bolt 13 which is normally projected throirgh an opening ll in the plate portion 6 as shown` in Figures 2, 3 and l for en*- iga'gement with the 'usual keeper to' hold the door closed, by means 'of fa spring 15. The bolt 13 is shown as 'slid-ably guided by means of a lug 16 thereon projecting through Ea 19 provided in the bolt 13 whereby said.

spring forcibly projects said bolt. This outer l5 wall of the slot 19 is engaged as at 2O by the il will not occur.

outer end ot the spring 15, and said spring exerts a force in a direction to project the bolt 13. The bolt is laterally tiltable and will be forced laterally in a manner to be described, when entirely retracted so as to engage behind the plate portion 6 as shown in Figure 6, automatically, and so that the bolt will remain retracted and out of the way in order that tearing of the clothes thereon lt is noted that the direction of movement oi the bolt 13 laterally is the same as the direction of the movement oi the door in opening so that when the door is closed the slight jar which occurs will cause lateral movement of the bolt in the opposite torcetul slamming of the door to effect latchi direction for aligning' the bolt with the slot or opening 14 and allowing said bolt to be immediately projected into the keeper by spring 15. In this way, there is no need of ing otl the same.

In order to insure lateral movement of the bolt 13 in some forms of latches to cause the bolt to engage behind the plate portion 6 ""9 as shown in Fig. 6 when said bolt is enportion 5.

tirely retracted through the opening or slot 111-, a spring-pressed plunger 21 may be provided and as shown, this plunger and its spring is located within an oblique opening provided in the outer end of the bolt. 13 and having its outer end engaging a screw plug 22 which is adjustably threaded in said opening', while the inner end oi the plunger engages the inner face of the plate By adjusting the plug 22, the force otl the spring 21 may loe regulated to suit the particular conditions under which the latch is being employed, and as shown,

the spring 21 is provided in an oblique opening in the bolt so that the inner end of the plunger will at all times be positioned to bear upon the plate member 5.

ln order to permit manual retraction oi the bolt 13, a vertical shaft 23 may be pivm oted in suitable bearings 24 provided on the plate portion 5, which shaft is formed with a lateral extension at its upper end to provide a handle 25 and has a lug or integral arm 26 extending laterally there- 05 from at its lower end, which arm or lug 26 is disposed to engage the outer end of the bolt enlargement or lug 16 as shown in Figure 3 and to play within the slot 19 ot said bolt. It will be apparent that upon rotation of the shaft 23 with the parts positioned as shown in Figures 2 to 4; inclusive, the bolt 13 may be retracted to the position of Figure 6 by reason ot the engagement ot the arm 26 with the enlargement 16 of said bolt, the bolt 13 being` immediately automatically moved laterally 'in one direction to engage behind the plate member 6 when the outer end of said bolt passes the inner edge of the adjacent wall of the opening 14. The bolt is retained retracted until the door is closed and when the latter occurs the slight jar causes lateral movement of the bolt in the opposite direction so that the bolt and opening 14 are alined and the spring 15 immediately projects said bolt outwardly through the opening 14: to engage the usual keeper, not shown, for holding the door closed.

As the end of the spring 15 which engages the bolt 13 is located outwardly ot the transverse center and inwardly of the longitudinal vertical center of the bolt 13, and the operating lug 26 is located inwardly of said transverse center and engages the enlargement 16 outwardly of said longitudinal center, the bolt 13 is naturally tilted laterally to engage behind the plate member 6, when retracted. The spring-pressed plunger 21 may be employed to make this more positive or may be employed when the specific structure of the latch is such as to not incur this natural tendency of the bolt to tilt when retracted.

It will thus be seen that the spirit of the present invention is to provide a door latch wherein provision is made for automatically holding the latch bolt in retracted position operable upon sudden stopping of the door in moving to closed position for automatically releasing the bolt and allowing the latter to be projected.

From the foregoing description, it believed that the construction and operation of the present invention will be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art.

Minor changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is:-

1. In a latch for doors, a spring projected bolt, means to manually vretract said bolt to door releasing position, and j ar-releasable means enclosed by the bolt to automatically retain the bolt retracted providing for the automatic release of the bolt for projection upon sudden stopping of the door in closing.

2. A door latch embodying a member displaceable laterally in one direction by jarring and further embodying a spring projected bolt having manual retracting means,

fissato@ means to automatically laterally displace said member in another direction upon retraction of the bolt, and means for auto'- matically holding the bolt retracted, when said member is laterally dis'pl'z'tced' in said other direction, wherebyl lateral ydisplacement of said member' in the lirst named direction will be automatically had upon sudden stopping of the door in closing for releasing the bolt and permitting the same to be projected, said laterally displaceable member comprising` said bolt, and means to regulate the force of said means for displacing the member in said other direction.

3. A latch for doors comprising a spring projected bolt having means for manually retracting the same, and means extending` transversely through the bolt to automatically retain the bolt in retracted position automatically releasable for permitting projection of the bolt upon sudden stopping of the door in closing, said latch being constructed to provide for release of the bolt when in retracted position due entirely to the momentum of a displaceable member of the latch.

t. In a door latch wherein a casing incloses a normally projected tensioned bolt, wherein manually operable means is associated with the bolt for retracting the same and cooperating therewith in a `manner to cause lateral shifting movement of the bolt during retraction with the nose of the bolt positioned for engagement with the casing to hold the bolt retracted, and wherein the bolt nose is released from the casing for projection upon the occurrence of a jar incident to the closing of the door, means embedded in the bolt and engaging the casing to eliect positive lateral shifting movement of the bolt during retraction thereof.

5. In a door latch wherein a casing incloses a normally projected tensioned bolt, wherein manually operable means is: associated with the bolt for retracting the same and cooperating therewith in a manner to cause lateral shifting movement of the bolt during retraction with the nose of the bolt positioned for engagement with the casing to hold the bolt retracted, and wherein the bolt nose is released from the casing for projection upon the occurrence of Ya jar incident to the closing of the door, tensionedy means embedded in the bolt'and engaging the casing to effect positive lateral shifting movement of the bolt during retraction thereof.

6. In a door latch wherein a casing incloses a normally projected tensioned bolt, wherein manually operable means is associated with the bolt for retracting the same and cooperating therewith ina manner tocause lateral shifting movement of the bolt during retraction with the nose of the bolt positioned for engagement with the casto .hold the' bolt retracted, and wherein theV b'olt nose is released from the casing for projection upon the occurrence' of ajar incident to the losin'g of the door," tensioned means carriedA by the bolt and inton- Vsta-nt engagementwith the casing to effect c cause lateral shifting movement of the bolt during retraction with the nose of the bolt positioned for engagement with the casing to hold the bolt retracted, and wherein the bolt nose is released from the casing for projection upon the occurrence of a jar incident to the closing of the door, tensioned means associated with the bolt and casing to effect positive lateral shifting move-ment of the bolt during' retraction thereof and so disposed that the lateral shifting movement of the bolt is on a line at an angle tothe longitudinal axis of the tensioned means.

8. In a door latch wherein a casing incloses a normally projected tensioned bolt, wherein manually operable means is associated with the bolt for retracting the same and cooperating therewith in a manner to cause lateral shifting movement of the bolt during retraction with the nose of the Vbolt positioned` for engagement with the casing to hold the bolt retracted, and wherein the bolt nose is released from the casing for projection upon the occurrence of a jar incident to the closing of the door, means to effect positive lateral shifting movement of the bolt during retraction thereof including a tensioned plunger slidably carried by the bolt and in constant engagement with the casing.

9. In a door latch wherein a. casing incloses a normally projected tensioned bolt, wherein manually operable means is associated with the bolt for retracting the same and cooperating therewith in a manner to cause lateral 'shifting movement of the'bolt vduring-retraction with the nose of the bolt positioned for engagement with the casing to hold the bolt retracted, and wherein the bolt nose is released from the casing for projection upon the occurrence of a jar incident to the closing of the door, means to effect positive lateral shifting movement of thev bolt during retraction thereof including an adjustably tensioned plunger carried by the bolt and engaging the casing.

l0. In a door latch wherein a casing incloses a normally projected tensioned bolt, wherein manually operable means is associated with the bolt for retracting the same and cooperating therewith in a manner to cause lateral shifting movement of the bolt during retraction with the nose of the bolt positioned for engagement with the casing to hold thebolt retracted, and wherein the bolt nose is released from the casing for projection upon the occurrence of u incident to the closing of the door, means to eiiect positive lateral shifting movement of the bolt during retraction thereof including a tensione-d plunger carried by the bolt and engaging the casing, and means for Varyl0 ing the tension on the plunger.

In testimony whereof I nilix my signature.

NELSON FLOYDE MATTESON. 

